6 March 2026

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Have 10 Pokemon You Can Only Get by Trading

By newsgame

In Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, there are 10 Pokemon that are only obtainable through trading. The vast majority of Pokemon evolve simply by reaching a certain level, but there are many other Pokemon that can only evolve under certain conditions. Sometimes Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players have to use stones on these Pokemon to trigger their evolutions, but other times the Pokemon can only evolve through trading.

Locking certain Pokemon evolutions behind trading may be frustrating, but it is a good way to encourage people to actually utilize the trade functionality. Trading Pokemon used to be a bit trickier back in the day, as it required players to own the Link Cable accessory or the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, but it’s completely wireless on the Nintendo Switch. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Nintendo Switch don’t have online support, but at least they don’t require an extra accessory.

pokemon firered leafgreen get all eeveelutions

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen: No, You Don’t Need to Trade to Get All the Eeveelutions

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players can’t catch any extra Eevees in the game, but that doesn’t mean they need to trade to get the eeveelutions.

Anyone wanting to fully complete their Pokedex will have to trade multiple times in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, though the lack of Mew means it’s not technically possible to do that anyway at the time of this writing. Still, there are 10 Pokemon specifically in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen that only evolve via trading, with four Kanto region evos and six Johto representatives.

Kanto Pokemon That You Can Only Get Through Trade Evolution

Kadabra to Alakazam
Haunter to Gengar
Graveler to Golem
Machoke to Machamp

Out of all the 151 original Pokemon, there are only four locked behind trade evolution. Unfortunately, this includes popular Pokemon like Gengar and Machamp. The good news is that there are no extra gimmicks tied to getting these Pokemon. All players need to do is trade their previous form, and they will get the evolution. Of course, this only applies to the person receiving the Kadabra/Haunter/Graveler/Machoke, so keep that in mind.

Since you are only able to get one starter Pokemon in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, you are technically locked out of getting the ones you don’t pick and their evolutions if you don’t trade as well.

Johto Pokemon That You Can Only Get Through Trade Evolution

Seadra to Kingdra
Poliwhirl to Politoed
Scyther to Scizor
Slowpoke to Slowking
Onix to Steelix
Porygon to Porygon 2

When it comes to the Johto region Pokemon available in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, things get a little more complicated. For one, Scyther is version exclusive to Pokemon FireRed. For two, all the Pokemon need to hold special items to evolve after the trade. For Seadra it’s the Dragon Scale, for Poliwhirl and Slowpoke it’s the King’s Rock, for Onix and Scyther it’s the Metal Coat, and for Porygon it’s the Up-Grade.

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The other thing to keep in mind when trying to get the Generation 2 Pokemon that are only available through trade evolutions is that it’s not possible to get them until after you get the National Dex. Getting the National Dex means catching at least 60 Pokemon and beating Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Elite Four to unlock the games’ endgame content, so it’s not something that players need to worry about until they’re deep into their adventure.

Endgame is where Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players will gain access to Johto region Pokemon and have the chance to add some of the rarer Pokemon to their roster. This includes legendary and mythical Pokemon that were previously locked behind events, as well as the various Eeveelutions — obtainable only through breeding.

If Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen ever add online support, it will be a little easier for players to do the trades they need to fully complete their Pokedex. No plans to that effect have been announced, and it’s highly unlikely to happen, but we do know that Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are getting Pokemon Home support at some point, at least.